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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · root · bound · lash · plane · kid · key · coach

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — the cause
  11. press — to push
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — a tool
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — in music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com